(Oct 01, 2010) Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek announced on September 26, 2010, that in two weeks the government will propose the lowering of the salaries of judges and other officials. The reduction would be of five percent. Kalousek added that "[t]his is an agreement we have firmly concluded. You can basically consider it a government decision." (Czech Government Insists on Reduction in Judicial Salaries, CTK (Sept. 26, 2010), CZECH HAPPENINGS (Sept. 28, 2010), World News Connection online subscription database, NewsEdge Doc. No.201009281477.1_a7b7003c5971b05b.)

This proposal comes in the wake of a rejection by Constitutional Court judges of a previous proposal to decrease the salaries of judges by four percent; it was argued that the cut, which would have taken effect on October 1, 2010, was unconstitutional and an attack on judicial independence. Kalousek argued that the new proposal is respectful of the court decision, while Tomas Motte of the Judge's Union said that the proposal would again be submitted to the Court for consideration. (Id.)

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